PM Netanyahu: The greatest sponsor of terrorism in the world is Iran

We believe that it is a fundamental mistake to enable such a terrorist regime to get to nuclear weapons, which is what the proposed agreement will give them. It will give them a definite pathway to nuclear bombs. We need a better deal.

"Iran was just confirmed as a preeminent state sponsor of terrorism in a US State Department report. It also confirmed the continual abuse of human rights in Iran under the present government. Executions are up; imprisonments are up; the harassment of gays, minorities and others; the violation of human rights continues unabashedly in Iran under Rouhani and continues all the time outside Iran in the attacks, in the attempts at conquest, in the proxy wars that Iran is supporting, and in the global terror network that Iran is conducting in over 30 countries with its henchmen, Hezbollah, and directly through its own agents.

We believe that it is a fundamental mistake to enable such a terrorist regime to get to nuclear weapons, which is what the proposed agreement will give them. It will give them a definite pathway to nuclear bombs – not a bomb, but nuclear bombs. It will also replenish their coffers with many billions, actually perhaps up to hundreds of billions of dollars, to enable them to continue their terrorism and aggression. This is something that is wrong. It is dangerous. It is dangerous for Israel, for Italy, for Europe, for the United States, for the world.

The world is properly concerned and aghast at the violence and savagery of ISIS. No one would dream of allowing the Islamic State of ISIS to have nuclear weapons. Why would anyone consider giving the Islamic State of Iran, which is a lot more powerful than ISIS and acts with much greater power than ISIS to have additional power of nuclear weapons? That’s a mistake. The Islamic State of Iran, the foremost sponsor of international terrorism, should not have access to nuclear weapons.

"I am not impressed by the potholes in the nuclear talks. To my regret, what we are seeing are Iran’s increasing demands, and the major powers’ concessions which are also increasing, in keeping with the Iranian pressure. This agreement is going from a bad agreement to a worse agreement, and is becoming worse by the day. In effect, it is paving Iran’s way to being not only a major power with one or two nuclear bombs, but with an unlimited arsenal within a decade with the possibility of achieving several atomic bombs beforehand, by violating the monitoring which, in any case, is full of holes. Above all, in addition to this, the agreement also gives Iran many billions of dollars, apparently hundreds of billions of dollars, within a short time, which will allow it to finance its increasing aggression, first of all the murderous stranglehold it is using around the State of Israel, but also in other parts of the Middle East that are subject to its aggression, such as Yemen, Iraq and many other places.

Therefore, there is both a conventional threat and a non-conventional threat, which in my view will heighten the nuclear arms race in the Middle East. For all of these reasons, this is a bad agreement. I appreciate the fact that there is a broad consensus within the State of Israel against this agreement. There are also increasing voices in the West against this agreement; they understand the significance its implementation would have on global security, theirs as well. But, as has been said, this debate is still taking place. I think it is important that Israel’s voice be heard, along with that of many others."